Most modern playgrounds have some form of shock absorbent safety surface intended to reduce the risk of injury. The industry has developed a number of different safety surfaces, including, for example, chipped wood products, resilient rubber foam, shredded tires, and poured-in-place rubberized surfaces.
Unfortunately, some existing safety surfaces may be prone to one or more drawbacks. For example, some applications, such as chipped wood products, absorbent rubber foam, and shredded tires offer favorable shock absorption qualities, but some of the softer options lack stability. As a result, the shock absorbent material tends to migrate away from high traffic areas, leaving many high traffic areas of a playground unprotected. On the other hand, many poured-in-place surfaces are very stable and thus not subject to migration, but these more stable options are often harder than desired. It can be difficult to find the proper balance between stability and shock absorption, and thus many playgrounds can benefit from an improved surface that offers favorable shock absorption as well as resistance to migration.